Bows For Recreation And Hunting

What Is A Compound Bow?

A compound bow is a modern bow that utilizes a levering system, with cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs. It is usually the preferred bow for hunting. The compound bow uses very stiff limbs that can operate with greater energy efficiency than those with less stiff limbs.

This limb stiffness makes the compound bow extremely energy efficient, but as the limbs are too stiff to be drawn comfortably with a string attached directly to them the compound bow has the string attached to pulleys, that have one or more cables attached to the opposite limb.

When the string is drawn back, the string causes the pulleys to turn causing the pulleys to pull the cables, which in turn causes the limbs to bend and so store energy.

The use of this levering system gives the compound bow a characteristic draw force curve which rises to a peak weight and then “lets off” to a lower holding weight.

Because of the greater forces that a compound bow places on the arrow, wooden arrows may break when shot from a compound bow possibly causing a severe injury. only arrows capable of withstanding the forces applied should be used.